Note: For a better understanding and enjoyment of this story you may want to read, "The Gambler" Parts one and two.



"I still don't understand why you have to go," Lola said as we drove over to my new apartment with a few more of my things. "Phillip is heartbroken."

I rolled my eyes and said, "We've been over this a million times before. I just need my space. Relax. Besides he has you." Ever since I brought Lola back with me to Colorado four years ago, Phil has treated her just like a daughter. Phil was delighted with Lola, whose accent and naivet made her as cute as a button. Damned near ageless, Lola was thirty-two years old and still looked like she could be in her late teens. Since she's been here she's gone to school, gotten her GED and her citizenship. She's improved her English and is going to the local community college to get an Associates degree in something like Administrative work or something, which is fine-but I know Lola's true talent.

Art.

In the backseat of my car was a huge beautiful painting of the Rockies in iridescent dreamy hues. Phil and I were surprised at how artistic she was. She said she always enjoyed drawing and creating stuff back in Argentina, but it wasn't until she started taking a couple of art electives in school that she realized how talented she truly was. Sculptures, paintings, drawings, collages, name it and Lola did it.

Lola insists on becoming an Administrative Assistant so that she can move up within the sports and wilderness store we run in order to help Phil, but truly she should be in Art school. However, she insists on doing something, "important". Ever since she's gotten out of Vegas, and stopped traipsing around in skimpy outfits taking drink orders, she's been on a quest to be taken more seriously. It's almost funny.

"Mali, I don't understand why you have to move away. We have such room in that big house. It's new and pretty too."

That's true. Being that our house was one of the oldest ones in our neighborhood a home renovation show offered us beau coup bucks just to remodel it and televise it's transformation. It was a win win situation.

In fact, everything was a win win situation. The wilderness store Phil ran, me getting my business degree, the house being taken off of mortgage.these were all things that just made me feel like one of the luckiest girls in the world.

If only luck had anything to do with it.

I know who it was. Lean, mean almond shelled complexioned pretty boy Marcus Austin. When I met him working at The Clarendon in Vegas, my whole life changed. Sometimes I thought about him and the last time we spoke and touched. I thought about the sculpture of his body and the feel of his kisses. I thought about the taste of his skin. I thought about his big brown bedroom eyes and I thought about his.

His arrogant pompous attitude.

Well, even that put a smile on my face.

I wondered if he still thought about me too. Even if he did, he didn't try to find me or contact me in any way, and I didn't go looking for him. We were on different paths. He was married now and owned one of the biggest conglomerates in the world. What a difference four years could make.

Me? I was about to graduate in a few days and live in my own apartment. I would still work in Phil's store, which was doing extremely well. We'd work together to try to get a nationwide, and even international chain of stores launched. I'd be an executive. A smile spread across my face as I thought about this.

When we pulled up in front of the apartment complex we got out of the car and began to bring more of the lightweight things up to my one bedroom apartment. I was almost completely moved in, though there were boxes to unpack and rooms to decorate.

I was so tired that day from running errands that as soon as I got a free moment from moving stuff in I flopped down on the bare mattress of my bed and closed my eyes. I heard Lola ask, "Where should I put this?"

"Put what?" I said without opening my eyes.

"The painting?"

"Wherever."

"Oh okay," She said. Soon I felt the bedsprings move but didn't notice it as she stood on the bed to hang the painting over my bed.

"Do you even have any nails and hammer?" I asked opening my eyes and realizing that Lola was standing directly over my face. She was so innocent that she had thought nothing of it as she stood over my head to hang the painting above my bed. I looked up her skirt and saw that she wore a pair of see through gauzy like panties that barely covered her snatch. Oh. My. God. Each movement she made, struggling to hang that painting, her panties rode further and further into her crotch. I saw her slit and her lower lips damn near part against the material of her panties. That couldn't be comfortable.

I was trying to stop the lascivious thoughts I had entertained, my lust suddenly hitting me like a brick. I started to feel bad. What kind of pervert was I? Lola was like my sister. And besides, the last time I had been with a woman in any type of way was when I worked at the hotel years ago. I'd messed around with Anita, my evil and wicked step aunt who tortured me on a daily basis. I thought it was a fluke, and that I wouldn't get turned on by any more women after that. After all, I had spent four years in a house with this pretty young woman who'd sometime would walk in nothing but a towel, but I thought nothing of it. But then again, I didn't think much of anything. My head was always either in a book for school or the books for Phil's store.

"How's it going?" I asked Lola, not even bothering to move and remove my eyes from the candid sight of her panties and the slit of her pussy.

"I think maybe lower on the wall." she said, suddenly dropping to her knees.

Wow.

She was straddling my face, her panties and crotch only inches away. She had no idea.

"Is it better?" I asked.

She gasped, probably feeling my breath against her soft thighs and hearing how muffled I was, "Oh Mali, I'm sorry!" She began to move.

"No! I'll move soon. Just hang that picture. I bet the way you're hanging it, it's damned near perfect."

"Okay," I heard Lola say as she began to hammer nails into the wall.

I lay there trying to curb my excitement, knowing I should move but not exactly wanting to. How long had it been since I had any type of sex in my life? Is this why I was acting like a horny perv?

This time her pussy was up close and personal. Her smooth small shaven lips were parted by her panties. I could see her ass crack and the roundness of her firm cheeks. I wasn't going to leave. I would feign sleepiness and tiredness until she got up. Why not just lay here and enjoy the view? It wasn't like I was touching her or anything? She didn't mind and I didn't mind so what was the problem?

The bed springs moved and I heard her straining as she seemed to be reaching for a high enough spot. I heard her sigh, having probably failed in some. Then she said, "Oh dammit!" as she flopped her ass down on my face by mistake. A reflex most likely as she rested on her laurels.

"Ahhh!" She yelped.

Her pussy was almost smashed against my face. I felt my clit tingle even though I lay perfectly still and in shock.

"I'm so sorry Mali!" She had said, though only lifting herself up a little. I was still in shock so I said nothing.

"Mali? Mali.?"

She heard no answer from me.

I felt her relax and rest her pussy on my face a little more. What in the hell was going on?

"You must be really tired Mali," I heard her almost whisper. "I'll just hang this picture and be out of your way."

I could've sworn I heard a rationalizing tone in her voice that was similar to the one in my head when I thought I should have moved away from her by now.

I played the part of the sleeper, parting my lips and breathing heavy just to see how'd she react once she felt my moist breath on her slit. I heard the hammering stop suddenly. Then I saw her pussy slowly descend until the surface of her slit barely grazed my lips. My God her pussy was right in my face!

I took more deeper breaths and wriggled a little, giving a "sleepy sigh" as I moved and threw my hands "absentmindedly" so that the fingertips grazed the outside of her thighs. Our skin was touching. Did Lola, really believe I was sleep? If she didn't she did a good job of not letting on.

She pressed her slit against my lips and my heart beat rapidly. For a while I did nothing but breathe hot moist air against her slit. But soon she was slowly and gently rocking, grazing her lips against mine back and forth, as if she wanted to get off without disturbing me. Little did she know, that that wasn't going to do the trick. Her clit barely reached my lips and she barely felt my lips on her slit.

So though I made up my mind to make a bold move even considering the consequences, like she could run out of this apartment and never talk to me again, I'd figure I take a risk since I had guessed what she had wanted. I stuck my tongue out and trailed it lightly against her slit as she rocked back and forth. I heard a slow moan coming from her as she did this. She didn't run away even though she had to know that I was conscious at this point.

After I had trailed my tongue lightly against her moistening slit, I wriggled it between her lips. I heard her breathing heavily now as she moved up and down against my face, though not fully pressed against it. When she moved down enough to the point where I could lick her clit, I took every advantage of it, swirling the tip of my tongue around her sweet little bud. She gasped and cursed in Spanish under her breath as I began to flick and lick her clit deliberately. I did this slow and then fast, fast and this slow, swirling and then stabbing with my tongue. She tasted so good and we were both so turned on because we couldn't believe that this was actually happening. Lost in my lust, I just grabbed her hips and pulled her down lower so that I could gently suck on her clit.

She cried out in pleasure as she dropped down and smashed her whole pussy against my face. I could feel her wet juices rub against my face as she humped it. I held her hips and tried to hold on tight, alternating the pressure of my sucking and gentle licking every so often, teasing her and making her crazy. Finally I took her clit between my lips as I rubbed my tongue against and across it. She humped my face like crazy, the bedsprings squeaking as we worked rhythmically to her climax.

Suddenly I heard a loud gasp and a piercing sound coming from deep down in her throat. I felt her juices wash over my face and attempted to lap up every bit that dripped from her honey hole. She tasted so good.

When she was done we were both gasping and resting against the bed. She lay next to me and looked over asking, "What did we just do?"

"Umm." I could barely answer, there was so much fear in her eyes and shame in her voice. Suddenly she rolled off of the bed and ran out of the bedroom.

"Lola, wait, where are you going?" I yelled chasing after her.



"What is this Gordon?" Raine threw a stack of papers on Gordon Black's desk. Gordon Black was her husband's assistant.

"Ms. Austin," Gordon said shaking his head, "What are you doing with these acquisition papers?" Gordon started to turn visibly red. His job was to keep most of Austin's paper trails hidden and obscured. Austin often changed things through an "invisible hand" by using his money, his power and his influence. He bought and sold properties, took over companies, created them, sold them, destroyed them. He played chess on a commercial scale when it came to making certain things happen that would benefit him or his allies. Such is the case with places like The Clarendon in Las Vegas. Four years ago it had been one lone struggling hotel, as grand as it was and as high as its ambitions. But through Marcus Austin's interference The Clarendon was thriving.

"Gordon!" Raine yelled, her hazel amber eyes glittering, "These papers, these businesses, these funds.what's the meaning of all of this?"

"Ms. Austin, you know how things work in the business world. Businesses, funds companies, bought and sold everyday. No big deal." Gordon stood up smiling feebly at the attractive young woman. Men almost always became blustered by her beauty, but she was more than just a pretty face. She was smart and business minded, which is how she figured out where to find some of her husbands paperwork. She was tallying up his assets, for what her and her other "wives of tycoons" friends would call "JIC" or "Just In Case". She wanted to know everything Austin had up his sleeve just in case he had decided to up and leave her. She wanted to know which businesses she could takeover and launch, hitting the ground running, if they ever divorced. In fact, she had been hounding her husband to let her take on certain projects because she was bored being simply rich, beautiful and spoiled.

Raine was five foot seven inches tall with very fair caf au lait skin, infused with golden tones. She had the blackest hair, which she wore in a straight thick shock bluntly cut so that it neatly and barely skimmed her shoulders. She had delicate features and including her slightly pouty lips. Everything about her seemed golden, from her skin to her amber-hazel eyes. She was small in frame with an impossibly tiny waist but hips which flared outward, giving her a beautiful curvy shape. She had toned legs that seemed longer than they were and small perky breasts which d‚colletage was obvious via her finely cut button down blouse. Gordon tried to avert his gaze from the seductive swatch of her smooth golden skin.

"You think I don't know that Gordon? Look at those papers," she pointed at the desk, "What do all of those businesses, and initiatives have in common?"

Gordon grabbed the stack of paper and flipped through it, shaking his head perplexed, "Ms. Austin-I."

"A scholarship fund, money donated to a senator's charity in Vegas, a umbrella company for sports equipment and accessories.other transactions and funds.you don't know what they all have in common genius?"

Gordon stared at her with a blank look on his face.

"Four years ago. All of these were created around four years ago. They must all link up. To what though?"

Gordon thought he knew, but he wasn't exactly sure. Plus even if his idea was right, he was sure Mr. Austin didn't want his wife privy to it. He tried to do some damage control. "The Clarendon. Around four years ago we started a cloaked allied initiative with the owner, Bernard Clarendon. All of these things must have something to do with that Ms. Austin," He smiled, "There it is. It's simple."

Raine narrowed her cat like eyes, "Is there something you're not telling me?"

"This must be it Ms. Austin. I know you're a very bright woman, but business can be sometimes complicated and convoluted, even for something simple." He sat back down, smug with his response. "And I don't think Mr. Austin would like the fact that you've been snooping around in deep cloaked company affairs."

Raine put a hand on her hip, "Well, you may be right. The last thing I need to hear is another bitch fit from him about how I'm just not like the other wives." But if only he knew, Raine thought, her other wife friends were just as involved in their husbands affairs. Raine was just bolder about it.

"And Ms. Austin, if you don't mind me asking, why are you so interested in this particular issue?"

"Well, I did get a degree in business from Stanford. I do have a curious mind. I do care about how my husband runs his business.that's all."

"How long have you been digging around? And if you're so well versed in the affairs of Conford, how come you didn't see these papers for the usual business occurrences that they are?"

"Because I know about every ally, every business, every hand-me-up Gordon. And these things just didn't register."

"These things did occur right before you two got married Ms. Austin. Especially The Clarendon affair."

"That's true," Raine said biting her bottom lip, "I didn't have as much access to the things I have now.its just that, he's been distant lately and he's hardly ever home."

Gordon said nothing, he just stared at her blankly.

"Of course, I mean that's what he does but.I don't know." Raine sighed. "I guess the honeymoon is over. I can't control my marriage through Conford can I?" she laughed.

Gordon smiled meekly, "I'm sure you're right. And as you can see, I'm in the middle of some work right now Ms. Austin. I'm sure you have other affairs to attend to."

"Right. Well. Thanks for humoring me," Raine smiled sweetly and slipped her shades back down over her eyes as she spun on her heels.

As she walked out of the office she thought about how condescending Gordon was to her about being a "bright woman". She didn't fully trust his response even though somehow it did make sense. As she slipped her suit jacket on she hoped that she had him convinced that she was through with the matter. If he tipped off Marcus, he'd be extra cautious. She wanted to catch him off guard.



Turns out that picture that Lola had hung had needed to come down after all. My apartment had needed to be painted that week so I decided to postpone my move for a couple of days. I stayed at home with Phil and Lola, totally avoiding the latter of course. Ever since our little "incident" I'd been too embarrassed to even say hello. I avoided her during her shifts at the store, at home, everywhere, and I think she was avoiding me too.

This morning, I was awakened to the sound of my cell phone ringing. My eyes, still fuzzy from sleep, tried to focus on the caller ID. It was Phil calling. Normally I wouldn't hesitate to answer a call from my step dad but it was at that moment that I realized that I was going to be holy fuck late for a meeting with some investors. This wasn't anything extremely formal, but it was important. How could I have overslept? I suppose studying for finals along with worrying about Lola and thinking about Marcus Austin kept me from getting a good sleep.

I cleared my throat as best as possible and answered, "Phil!? What's going on?"

"I called the house but Lola says she hasn't seen you. Where are you? Our meeting is in a half hour. I thought we were going to go over what we had to say together." Phil had to be at the store hours earlier than I did. I was realizing that he was waiting for me to show up before this brunch date so that we could prep.

"Phil I'm on my way now, I just had to uhh." Think. Think. Think. "I was looking up some research on the net.statistics of the well-being of businesses like ours just to have on my brain, and then traffic got crucial.I'm on the road right now."

"Could you please hurry up?" Phil pleaded, "It takes fifteen minutes just to get to the place."

"I know, I'll meet you there okay? if worse comes to worse you start without me." Keep in mind that during this conversation I was running around the room trying to grab clean underwear and my towel in order to hop in the shower. "Tell them I'm running late if anything."

"Mali I can't do this by myself!"

"You won't have to just be your charming self until I get there, which will be soon, Phil I'm going through a tunnel b-"

"Bye." I said as I hung up the phone and rushed to the bathroom.

As soon as I got in there I noticed a silhouette behind the frosted glass sliding door of the shower. It was Lola. We both froze, realizing that we were both in the same room at once.

She slid open the shower door slightly, "Good morning Mali, is everything okay?"

"I just have to rush to get in the shower is all," I said nervously, "See Phil thinks I left already and we have that big meeting and I told him I was on the road already and-"

"MALI!" I heard a booming voice yell from somewhere in the house and then footsteps.

Lola gasped, "Phil!"

I thought he was at the store. How did he get home so quickly? Why was he home?

Lola turned on the dials on for hot steamy water, presumably to create a noisy diversion and reinforce the fact that she was taking a shower and not talking to me as I stood naked in the bathroom.

There was a knock at the door, "Lola?"

"Si?"

"Lola, honey I'm real sorry and I don't want you to think anything strange of me, but this morning before I ran out I used the bathroom in the hall quickly and.well I think I left my wallet in there."

It was true, Phil's wallet was on the floor next to the toilet. I could fake like Lola and pass it to him but somehow I think he'd notice considering our arms and hands weren't exactly the same skin color.

"As long as you're in the shower, do you mind me just running and getting it?"

"Umm."she peeked at me and then slid open the door to the shower as she motioned me inside. I ran in and slid against the tiled wall without hesitating. The water created steam that would camouflage our silhouettes.

"Come on in Phil," Lola called.

My heart thumping with excitement, I noticed Lola's nakedness in the small steamy space. The sweet Latina was petite and short at five foot one with a dark tanned complexion. She had little reddish brown raspberry nipples which stood out from her smallish pert breasts and a small waist with a curvy ass. Her long dark wavy hair got wet immediately. The long lashes of her wide brown eyes had tiny crystals of water resting on the tips. Though I was looking at her, she wasn't looking at me, she just stood at the ready intent on hearing the next thing Phil would say or do.

Phil came on in, "Once again I'm sorry honey," he said loudly over the rushing water.

"No problem Mr. Phil."

"Where's Mali? Her car is still parked out front and I can't find her anywhere."

"I think she took a cab.she uh.car trouble I guess?"

"Oh really?" Phil said, "I was halfway on my way home because I realized I forgot my wallet and I called her cell phone but all I got was the voicemail."

"What happened did you need to tell her something?"

"Just that they postponed the meeting a couple of hours. She's probably on her way there anyhow. Hopefully she gets the message before and won't need a ride back to the store. Anyway this is awkward." Phil laughed, "I'm on my way out, later,"

"Bye Phil." Lola responded.

We heard footsteps retreat down the hall as we breathed a sigh of relief. When we were sure he had left we both giggled excitedly in our nudity. I laughed, and then realized that it was Lola's turn to stare at me. I moved the wet bangs of my long brown wavy hair out of my dark eyes. Like Lola, I had long lashes (though they weren't quite as long as hers). I also had full pouty mauve colored lips. The warm steam made the nipples of my full and firm yet supple C cups sized breasts puffy. Her eyes quickly brushed over the rest of my body which consisted of a short torso and a small waist with wide flaring hips and a flat smooth stomach. My complexion was lighter than hers, the color of caramel. I stood over her at five foot six inches tall, since she was only five foot two. I felt my curvy ass jiggle a little when I backed up against the tiled wall.

Examining each other for a little while, realizing that our gazes didn't exactly seem innocent, we were quiet after our initial giggling. Almost embarrassed.

Finally I spoke, "Thanks for covering so well Lola. I guess I just should've told him the truth but I just hate letting him down."

"I know what you mean," She smiled.

"Well," I said. "I guess I'll be going,"

Lola grabbed my wrist before I could leave, "We should talk."

"Here?"

"Why not? We both need a shower right? Here," she walked behind me and pushed me towards the stream exploding from the showerhead as steam billowed around us. "I do your back while we talk,"

Her attitude was a definite change from a couple of days before when she couldn't even talk to me. I was just happy that she wasn't avoiding me anymore.

"Oh-Okay. Fine," I smiled as she took a lathered loofah and gently rubbed and scrubbed the back of my neck and shoulder blades. "I mean, I've got time now that the meeting was pushed back."

"Umm hmm," She said.

"Well, okay I'll start first," I said reveling in her gentle stroking motions with the loofah as she began to travel down my back. I had to stop myself from thinking the things which got me in trouble in the first place, but it was hard. "I'm sorry about the other day Lola. I didn't mean to take advantage of you."

"What?" Lola stopped briefly to say in astonishment, "You think you took advantage of me? Mali I am the older one. I should know better. Besides you were in the position to be taken advantage of."

"But Lola,"

"Mali," She said quieting me, "I know exactly what I do. I'm not as innocent as you think," She said the loofah brushing down my asscheeks and down the back of my thighs. What was going on here? Did we both think we were "taking advantage" of each other that day? Did we both feel bad for it? Lola was thirty-two years old, she had lived more than me. As na‹ve and innocent as I thought she was, who was I to doubt that she really didn't know what she was doing that day? I keep thinking of Lola as some sweet virginal eternally young thing, I mean of course I realize she's not a virgin but you understand what I mean. And I almost see her as my little sister and those times when I don't it just feels like she's just as old as I am.

Right now feeling her sensually rub me down with the soapy wet loofah, I knew that she wasn't as innocent as I had once thought.

"Well, I guess we both enjoyed ourselves," I said. "Okay, my turn to do you." I sensually slid behind her, rubbing my body against hers as I angled her towards the hot water. The steam seemed to swallow us up, and the sea blue colors of the tile made everything a warm cloudy sensuous dream. I used the same loofah and scrubbed her back, lifting her long hair and caressing the back of her neck with the scratchy lathery loofah. "I didn't mind it. I loved doing that to you."

"Really?" She squeaked.

"Yes. And if I knew what you were feeling, I would've done it some more if you would've let me."

"I would've done it to you to Mali." Her voice trailed off as I pressed myself into her body, reaching around and rubbing the loofah over her breasts and tummy, the front of her thighs. I rested my chin on her shoulder, breathing my warm breath into her ear. What we both felt at this moment was intense. What we had said to each other was intense, and there was no turning back.

I dropped the loofah, and instead used my hands and fingers to rub and caress her soft wet skin. She leaned back into my body, her back pressing against my hardening nipples, her ass brushing against the mound of my pussy. She threw her head back and moaned, "Oh Mali, touch me please."

After I used my hands to explore her navel and hips, I slid them up to her pert little breasts and kneaded them sensuously, hearing her breathing quicken as she relaxed her body into mine more. She took her hands and reached behind her to rub the sides of my slick thighs. The shower was a steamy dream, and the heat made us even more light headed as our wet bodies writhed against each other. I slid my hand down to cup her hairless mound, sliding a finger between her puffy lips. She lifted a leg and rested her foot against a recess in the wall used for holding soap, spreading her slit ever so slightly. I trailed my fingers up and down each of her ever so parted lips until she cooed and murmured my name, "Mali, please.please."

She never did finish that sentence, but I filled in the blanks myself. I slipped a finger inside of her hot wetness as she ground her ass into my pussy. I finger fucked her core while tweaking her nipple and squeezing her breast with my free hand. I humped my pussy against her ass as I began to swirl the tip of my middle finger around her clit. I went slow, making sure that beads of the hot water of our shower hit her clit and pussy directly, and I continued to dip my fingers inside of her walls to gather her sticky wetness on my fingers, using as lube for friction on the tip of her clit. She cried out something in Spanish as she wound her hips. She was so fucking hot. I used my fingers to feel where the intense streams of water were hitting her little sweet pearl. I exposed her clit with my fingers and held it in such a way that a steady stream of hot water hit it continuously and with force. Her breathing became shallow, her body became stiffer, she began to moan and groan as I manipulated her clit with the water.

"Oh my God Mali!" She cried out as I imagined what was happening to her. The hot pressure of the water against her clit was slowly building steam inside of her, deep inside. She must've felt warmness all over, especially in her pussy, as her orgasm began to set in. I felt her reach behind and grab one of my ass cheeks as she groaned loudly cumming in the shower. I groaned too, this was so hot, I couldn't believe it.

When she came down she turned to face me, lust in her eyes. She reached for me and enveloped me in an embrace, kissing me with passion yet with a delicate sensuality that turned me on even more. She backed me into a corner, rubbing her tight little body and little tits on me as she ran grabbed fistfuls of my hair and trailed her fingers down my wet caramel coated body. She broke away from me briefly to reach for vanilla scented body gel. I smiled as I wondered what she was going to do next, amused and intrigued by this new sexual goddess before my eyes who I formerly knew as our sweet and na‹ve Lola. She lifted the bottle of the gel high and proceeded to drip and drizzle the gel down my body. I moaned and hissed as I felt the coolness of the liquid dripping down and hanging from my nipples and making its way down my smooth navel and thick thighs. Smiling again, she stuck her tongue out and licked at my lips again, like a little mewling cat, as she used her body as a "loofah" of sorts. She rubbed her little wet body against mine, instantly creating foam and lather. She felt so amazing as an unbelievable heat generated between our wanting lustful bodies.

I moaned as she kissed and licked at my neck, grabbing and pinching the nipples of my soapy breasts. I was so hot at this point, I thought I'd explode. She pressed her body against mine again, with only her hand between us. Using her hand she tickled my slit and eventually dug her fingers deep inside of me. She used the balls of her fingers to massage my g-spot as she curved them up inside of me. I bucked my hips against her hand and sort of "bounced" up and down on her fingers as we kissed and caressed each other's bodies. I moaned, slowly grinding my way to a mind blowing orgasm as she pounded and deeply pressed against my spot, the palm of her fingers rubbing into the folds of my clit and pressing against my pelvic bone. Lola was right, she did know exactly what she was doing.

Suddenly, I just knew I was going to cum, but this time it felt slightly different. I felt this strange urge to pee coming on as the pressure mounted, as the ecstasy overwhelmed me. I didn't know what was happening to me, but I couldn't stop it.

All of a sudden a stream of liquid sprouted out of me arching towards Lola and falling on her skin, then it lost momentum and proceeded to trickle down my leg. All the while I was screaming like a banshee as my pussy seemed to implode upon itself, releasing and clenching the muscles over and over again as I had an intense multiple orgasm.

When I had finished cumming, she collapsed against me, kissing me so deeply I thought her tongue would get lost down my throat. When we broke apart I found myself panting, "I'm sorry, I guess I lost control of my bladder."

"No," Lola said smiling, "You just squirted Mali.que delicioso.ummm."

She leaned in to kiss me again, then whispering in my ear, "This is the cleanest I've ever been in a long time."

I laughed. How long had we been in this shower anyway?



Marcus Austin stepped out of the bathroom in nothing but a towel. The sight of the five foot eleven almond shell complexioned man sent a shiver down Raine's spine, even if she didn't want to admit it. Everything about him was beautiful. His huge dark bedroom eyes, his long lashes, his pouty lips, and his smooth skin. He kept everything well groomed, his low cut hair, his goatee with the razor thin connecting sideburns, his nails.

Raine's mind drifted as she looked her husband up and down. She stood in front of the window of their bedroom, which gave a grand panoramic view of Central Park. She ran a finger through her raven black hair and quickly looked away. She couldn't let her feelings cloud her thought process. Maybe a long time ago, her initial feelings for her husband is what made her want to be with him in the first place-but she was always taught that marriage was more than love if it were even about that at all.marriage was a partnership, a business partnership and she and Marcus both seemed to understand this.

She sashayed over to him in her silk blood red kimono, over to the bed where he sat applying lotion to his skin. Her hazel-golden eyes sparkled as she smiled, "Well, are we going to talk now?"

Marcus rolled his eyes, "Raine, I just got in from a long flight from Burkina Faso, I don't really want to talk about anything."

"You said we were going to!" She pouted as she flopped down on the bed.

"Stop the little girl act. You know I don't fall for it."

"Stop the tough 'man of the house' act.it's not like it gets me hot."

They both smiled at each other knowing of the irony of their words. They were sexually attracted to each other, but tried to suppress any urges to express affection for each other, seeing it as a weakness. The thing is that they really didn't trust one another, and they really didn't understand one another, at least not on a personal level. Within four years they were both exhibiting the characteristics of a mundane emotionally detached marriage. Smiling in the public and for pictures on the society page, and in private they were quiet and detached speaking to each other when it involved something they each wanted.

Surprisingly, this didn't bother Raine. When she was younger she had believed there would be a prince charming who would sweep her off her feet and take her to his castle, loving her forever. Even though she found what seemed like Prince Charming, (who's castle turned out to be a penthouse) she knew there was no real love there. There was only distance. Deep down she didn't think Marcus Austin could really love anyone. The only thing he loved was himself and making money. She came third. She learned to accept this as long as she could feel secure in the fact that she was probably the highest ranking human entity that he cared for in his life. He had a shitty relationship with his family and no real friends. Even though she tried to tell herself that her marriage with Austin was not about love at all, she couldn't help feeling that somehow things would be different if she could just figure him out-maybe a way to his heart? Though she played the tough girl act by acting like she didn't care, figuring him out had tortured her for a long time. Now she had to make due with the fact that no one would ever get as close to him as she was right now.

"Marcus," Raine sighed, "I'm really getting bored."

"I could find something for you to do," Marcus lay down on the bed suggestively, his muscles flexing, his towel only a small movement away from exposing his manhood.

"Every time I want something from you I have to play with your dick?" Raine asked. "I thought you were too tired?" Raine grabbed the towel, exposing her husband's long smooth dick. She tried to act as if she weren't excited at even the thought of it. Marcus had been gone a long time, and he was her only source of sex whether they really were in love of not. Though she was sure he had sex on the side, she tried not to think about it.

"What do you want Rainey.Rainey Day?" Marcus smilingly teased as he rubbed her lower back. She smiled, hiding her face away as she felt warmth wash over her. It was rare that he showed any type of affection towards her. Nevertheless she reached over and began stroking his dick, "You know I want to run a company, or start one myself.I think it's time." She gripped his shaft harder, "I know I'm ready. Trust me."

Marcus marveled at how her little golden hand made him bigger and longer. "Raine.shit.Raine." He moaned while trying to explain to her that, "Even though you keep on throwing your B.A. from Brown in people's faces, it takes more than that to do what I do.uhh.shit."

"I know how to connect the dots. I've been basically keeping up with most of your affairs and transactions since we've been married."

"You what?"

"I even found out about some before we were married.you know, The Clarendon deal? As a matter of fact Gordon and I were just saying how."

"You what? Who?" Marcus quickly sat up, slapping her hand away from his still hard member. "Raine what do you think you're doing?"

"What?" She said startled, "I thought you were getting excited?"

"Not about you being in my business."

"Your business? Listen, your business is MY business Austin! Don't you forget that."

"Whatever," Marcus stood up and threw on his robe. He walked over to the very same window Raine had stood in front of and looked out at the darkening city sky.

"Why are you getting so mad? Is it because you thought I was too stupid to figure things out? It's all elementary my dear Austin." She smugly laughed, "If you wanted to be the only genius in this relationship you should've married an idiot."

"I sort of wish I had," Marcus said.

The words stung Raine. "I know. I know you wish you had married someone else but you didn't. So what you have to do, is deal with it!"

"You are not," Marcus yelled, "going to be telling me what to fucking do!"

Raine yelled back, "I will not sit here, and be some trophy wife! I want more!"

Marcus shook his head laughing, "You want more? Right, right, of course. I mean you only have EVERYTHING right?"

"You know what I mean."

"Well it's funny since the only thing you've ever talked about, from the time I proposed to you, was how you wanted the stone in your engagement ring in a different setting, and how you wanted to buy a house in Malibu, and how you wanted to decorate the penthouse, and how you needed to fly to Paris to get an original wedding gown.and how you had to be the first one with the new Maybach.but never, ever did I once hear, 'I'm not a selfish, manipulative, superficial, trophy wife and I need to be taken seriously'. I mean, I knew you were smart, but simply being cunning, nosy and dubious don't automatically make you CEO of the year."

"Well, that's what got you to be CEO of the year didn't it."

Marcus sighed, "Shit, my hard on is KILLED. I need to stay away from you in order to keep my dick healthy and functioning."

"For who?" Raine shot back, "For those sluts you fuck when you're out of town?"

Marcus thought about this. He remembered his initial rule before he got married: Never fuck a stupid bimbo slut. If they didn't have a brain, they might as well not have a pussy as far as he was concerned. He always went for the nice ones, the smart ones, pretty enough, with substance and character, and he always transformed her, over the course of a few days, into a desperate clingy slut ready to dump all of her principles and her whole life just for the illusion of perhaps getting with him. When he made them realize just how much he could change them, it shocked them and got him off. However, he hadn't employed that rule since he had met.

"Mali," her name escaped softly from his lips.

"What did you just say?"

His head jerked towards his wife, whose robe fell off of her shoulders, exposing her pretty perky breasts. Her areolas were unique in the fact that they were nearly nonexistent. All that was left were puffy sensitive nipples which hardened often for no reason at all.

"Nothing," As much as he knew Raine didn't really have genuine feelings for him, he also knew she had a large ego and a major jealousy problem. If she got one whiff of what really went down during the Clarendon deal and who he met and fell in love with, she'd flip. The last thing he needed was for her to really feel like a woman scorned.

He softened his tone, "Listen, let's not fight okay?"

"Okay," she said walking over to him as she let her robe fall completely off. She remembered how horny she was just a minute ago. After she walked over to him, they both stood completely naked in front of their window that overlooked New York City.

"So if we don't fight, what should we do?" She asked, pressing herself against his body, his dick pressing against her thigh.

"You tell me?" Marcus said.

She slyly smiled as she slid down to her knees, perched in front of his dick. "I think I can figure something out." She grabbed the shaft of his cock and began to stroke it with her little soft fingers. She heard him moan as she did this. It wasn't long again before he was as hard as a rock. She stuck out her pink tongue and began to lick up and down his veiny shaft as she gently caressed his smooth shaven sack. He inhaled deeply, even more turned on by the fact that they were almost exposed. The whole city was before them and yet no one (unless they had a high power telescope that worked from across the park) could see them.

She began to take him slowly into her mouth inch by inch. Raine wasn't very good at giving head when he first met her, but she was learning. When she took him in as much as she could, she began to suck and lick his shaft and dick, saliva dripping from the corners of her mouth. She began to moan and groan, enjoying his hardness in her mouth. She began to fondle her breasts and tweak her nipples as she bobbed her head on his fully erect dick. She took the tip of her tongue and swirled it around the thick pink mushroom shaped head of his shaft as he hissed and grabbed a fist full of her hair. He wanted it harder, faster. He pulled her hair, pulling her face more and more onto his dick, making her gag as some of his length began to enter her throat.

"Relax." he told her, and she let her body loosen up as she concentrated on breathing through her nose. She made her lips as tight as possible and swirled her tongue around the little space that was left between her lips and his cock. Then she let him fuck her throat and face, pumping his dick in and out until he cried out, "Shit I'm gonna cum!"

He slid his dick out of her throat and mouth and she grabbed it, pumping him towards his orgasm. She gave some more tentative licks but he still hadn't cum yet. Then, she placed his dick back into her mouth and bobbed up and down on it fast, sucking on the tip with her warm tight mouth.

"Shit."

When she heard that she knew it was really time. She pulled his dick out of her mouth and stuck out her tongue. He grunted as he pumped thick thread after thick thread of white jizz allover her pink moist tongue, and the corners of her perfect mouth.

"Ummm," she said, licking up his cum and smacking her lips. Just a few years ago she couldn't even look at his dick without blushing. Though he wasn't sure about how sincere she was about him, he knew she loved the sex they had.

"How was that?"

"Damned good Rainey.damned good," He said patting her on the head like a dog. She reached up for his hand and he took it, helping her off of her knees.

"So, is it gonna be my turn?"

"You know I don't like doing that," Marcus said.

"You used to!" Raine pouted.

Marcus shook his head, remembering the last pussy he tasted. Mali's. Hers was so sweet he could still remember the taste. He vowed he'd never put his lips or tongue on another because doing so might make him forget her taste, her scent.

"Drop it," Marcus said, flopping down on their king sized bed.

Raine was furious. She thought he was just going through a phase when he said he didn't feel like pleasuring her with his mouth. How else was she going to get her rocks off tonight? She didn't feel like using her toys and she didn't feel like getting his stupid cock erect again by sucking him again. She growled, "Uggggh! You talk about me but you're so fucking selfish! You won't fuck me, you won't let me run any businesses.and I bet you don't want me fucking someone else or running his business? Why'd we get into this shit in the first place?"

"What? You mean, our marriage?" Marcus asked. "Well, because I was expected to find a pretty young wife to marry in order to be respected and you needed a ambitious young man with money before you got considered an old maid."

Raine pouted. "I need more. More from you!"

"More?" Marcus asked, "What do you mean?"

Raine stopped to think about this. What exactly did she mean?

"You know, what I've been asking about."

"Yeah and about that," Marcus said right before he rolled over under their silk sheets, "Stop poking around in my business Raine. You're a wife. Act like it," Marcus began yawning. He felt instantly sleepy. His words began slurring, "Clarendon was nothing.get over it."

"Well me figuring out Clarendon must've been something because you can't seem to stop talking about it." Raine trailed off. "You know what I didn't understand? How a scholarship set up in Colorado has anything to do with a Hotel in LV."

Marcus was already softly snoring.

"Or how a deal with public television about a home make over show has anything to do with anything.except that it was also in.*Colorado*?" Raine's eyebrows furrowed. Quickly she saw another pattern developing, another mystery to be solved.

Looking at her sleeping husband, suspicions began to arouse. She didn't know what they were exactly but she knew she'd figure it out.



"What do you mean the 'parent company'? What does that mean? Why can't we just chain ourselves?" Phil asked. I sighed as I made the turn into the parking lot.

"I'm just telling you what the lawyers told me. Technically some company called, Desert Gamble Inc. holds all of the cards."

I got out of the car and waited for Phil to follow me. I was as nervous as ever and so was Phil. For the first time in a long time, things didn't seem to be working out they way we thought it would.

As Phil and I walked toward the store he sighed, "If only I could figure out a way to fully buy this place myself. But I had Lisa look into it and she says that the company is a subsidiary of another company which is another subsidiary of another.its hard to track down exact people to let them know you wanna buy out you know?"

Lisa was our lawyer. I didn't know Phil was really looking for the owner of our parent company in order to fully own our store.

"She says its like one of those Russian egg toys." Phil rambled, "You open up one egg, then inside there's a smaller one.then a smaller one.then a smaller one.only with us the egg keeps getting bigger and bigger. She says huge corporations do it all the time, create little companies that they don't even remember creating. Everything gets lost in the shuffle. No one who I can really talk to to make a difference.and if I do, he.or she gets wise to it and raises the price to an astronomical proportions," Phil explained excitedly as we passed by the morning staff to enter the back office. "You've really got to know someone important to get what you want."

I felt a pang of guilt as I hung up my jacket. "I guess so."

"I don't know," Phil said walking over to the coffee pot, "I really don't mean to complain baby girl. It's just that I want to control my own destiny. I mean.what's happened in the last few years have been really amazing," he sat down on a desk. "But technically I'm still working for someone else. I want something to leave behind. A legacy for you, you know? Or your kids."

I started to feel warm and lightheaded. The guilt was eating me alive. He wanted to do this for me. My kids? And I KNEW the owner of our company. I knew him intimately. I just didn't think it would be wise to find him and beg him to sell or give up the company. Number one, it would make me look like some weird gold digger looking for a favor. Number two, it would kill his mystique. I knew what Desert Gamble Inc. was all about but I couldn't tell anyone.

"Phil," I said, "I'll-I'll work on it okay?" I said scratching my head. "I haven't been to focused with graduation going on."

Phil's face lit up, "Hey, you're right! You're going to be a college graduate soon huh? I can't wait."

I smiled weakly.

"Your mother would've been so proud of you," Phil said shaking his head. "The same way I am. I wouldn't be where I am without you."

"Don't get mushy Phil." I said feeling that nagging tug in your gut when you are about to cry. "I'm not all that."

"Well, I'm going to go out on the floor, handle things back here?"

"Yeah, of course."

"When Lola comes in, can you tell her to order some more supplies. All I can find are red pens, red pens everywhere," he said as he got up and left the room.

Suddenly, the phone rang. Mali lunged for it.

"Hello, this is Gordon Black, looking for Phillip, Phillip Clarendon?"

"This is Mali Richards his assistant, how can I help you," Mali responded.

"Ms. Richards?" the other voice said seeming surprised.

"Ummm, yes." Mali said, furrowing her brows.

"Oh okay, well, I represent some investor interests who have gotten word about your prospective expansion."

"How'd you hear about this Mr. Black?"

"It's my job to keep on top of these things. Is there a way we can set up a meeting?"

"Well who exactly do you represent?"

"A private interest. She's a wealthy investor, and she'd really like to meet with you."

Mali thought about this. Perhaps she couldn't get full ownership of the store, but she might be able to figure out how to branch out at least statewide with enough capital. Maybe she'd handle this herself and surprise Phil. Besides, he seemed to be burdened enough.

"Okay, sure. I'm exactly the right person to be talking to."



Raine sat at the table fidgeting with her napkin. Gordon Black sat across from her with a stormy countenance on his face.

"When is she coming Gordon?"

"Relax. She'll be here."

Raine shook her head, "I just don't understand Gordon. This girl is Clarendon's niece?"

"By marriage."

"And he's set up a scholarship fund to benefit her, gives her uncle's brother a job running a store that we own and that she helps run.and she's a business major and."

Gordon started to get nervous. Was Raine really starting to piece things together? He decided to be quiet about everything and just let whatever happened happen. Besides, he'd somehow find a way to convince Raine that everything she was thinking was merely a coincidence.

"What does he see in her?" Raine said, eyes glittering with frustration.

"Ms. Austin, please."

"He's grooming this girl.this girl to be some sort of executive! And he won't even let me run one company!"

"You don't know if he's doing that. Maybe when Marcus made deals for the Clarendon establishment, maybe he also did a few favors for Bernard Clarendon's brother, and Clarendon's brother just put his niece in a position of power."

"A scholarship fund? Gifts to the board of the shitty Colorado university she goes to?"

"She's about to graduate soon." Gordon said. Raine had him check background information on Mali before they called her to set up this appointment. "She's actually a pretty good student."

Raine's head jerked up and she glowered at Gordon, "And I wasn't? At least I finished school before thirty!"

"She's twenty-eight."

"Whatever. She's old."

"You're twenty-five. Not far behind her."

"Whose side are you on?"

"This isn't about sides Ms. Austin."

"So you think she's better than me too? Well fine. We'll see about that."

"This feels wrong Raine." Gordon leaned in closer over the table meeting her gaze. "She's innocent in all of this. Even if this crazy theory you have is true, she has no idea about it. I feel like we're wasting her time. This is pointless."

"I want to know who she is.and I highly doubt that she has absolutely NO idea at all that a multi-millionaire is basically the grand puppet master behind her life!"

"Just a couple of days ago you didn't have any idea either."

"Fuck you Gordon," Raine seethed.

"Listen, if she asks for your name make sure you go by your maiden one."

"Why?" Raine asked raising an eyebrow. "If she really has no knowledge of Austin or Conford why should I hide who I am?"

"Well," Gordon said, realizing she was going to make this more difficult than it had to be, "I never said she didn't have any knowledge of Austin or Conford. But she doesn't have any knowledge of this crazy theory you're entertaining. And what exactly are you going to tell her once you meet her as Mrs. Austin? That you're not actually interested in investing and you've lured her here under false pretenses?"

"That's why you're here! To do the thinking Gordon! Gosh, I just want to see why he thinks she is better."

"This isn't an episode of 'The Apprentice' Raine," Gordon said sipping his water. "You have no idea if what you are proposing is true." All Gordon wanted to do was to get Raine back to New York before the situation escalated further. Of course he knew that Mali Richards had to have some inkling of what her former lover had done for her life. He didn't know how she'd react or if she'd be discreet.

Raine's brows furrowed and then went slack. At that moment he saw a glint of recognition in her eyes, a recognition that could only come from a woman's intuition. He turned also to see Mali Richards walk toward them. She was curvaceous yet fit with a beautiful open face and brown almond shaped eyes. She wore a light gray tailored suit that hugged her curves. Gordon admired her shapely legs and delicate ankles as he watched her walk over to the table, her hair trailed behind her slightly as she moved.

"Mr. Black?" She asked.

"Yes," Gordon stood up to greet her. Raine reached over the table and extended her hand. "Good to meet you Ms. Richards. Have a seat." Gordon thought Raine seemed flustered. She seemed intimidated by the girl's presence. Her beauty, though moderate made her seem ethereal when coupled by her confidence and her smile-which seemed to exude a sort of "goodness" that Gordon could not quite explain. She sat down and immediately began her pitch, fortunately not asking many questions. This was a girl who seemed hungry, determined and eloquent. Gordon was personally impressed. Was Raine correct? Had Austin been grooming this girl for bigger things after all?

But while Gordon's point of view began to change, internally Raine's was changing too as the girl spoke, so kind, so confident, so expressive. It was a feeling Raine wasn't used to that overtook her just now. Usually her beauty, social class, education and upbringing combined made her feel superior to any person, but somehow this Mali girl shook something within her, made her uncomfortable.

"Okay!" Raine said a little too loudly startling her lunch companions and others surrounding them in the restaurant. Mali paused, startled.

"I mean, you make a fabulous case Ms. Richards, however."

"Well, in a couple of hours I can whip up a formal presentation. When your associate," she nodded towards Black "called today, I unfortunately didn't have the time to prepare a customized presentation geared towards your interests Ms."

Gordon gave Raine a look, "Farlowe. Raine Farlowe. Listen, Ms. Richards we'll be in touch. Now if you don't mind, another pressing appointment has come up and we must cut lunch short. Please stay if you'd like and have lunch on me." Raine stood up to leave, totally throwing off Gordon, who couldn't read her at that moment.

"That's okay, I should be leaving anyway," Mali said, extending her hand to Raine and Gordon.

"It was a pleasure to meet you Ms. Richards," Gordon said as Mali got up to leave. He waited until he was sure she had left until he spoke, "Well? Is this over?"

Raine didn't answer. She was gazing in the space Mali once occupied.

"Raine?"

"Hmmph? Oh yes. Don't be ridiculous Gordon. She's nobody."

"What?"

"Obviously her family forced Austin to do her some favors. Didn't the poor girl's mother die? Everyone took pity on her. Poor thing. It's obvious it's nothing."

"Are you serious?" Gordon said incredulously.

"He can't possibly be wanting her to run his business over me!" Raine pounded her fist on the table. "I mean, come on! No way!"

"Are you okay?"

"If he wasn't giving her pity, then it means he had to be grooming her because he thought she was better than I was. And that is not possible." Raine seethed, her chest visibly heaving up and down, "Because I am the best damned thing in Marcus' life. I'm the only one who chose to really care about his coldhearted money loving cheating ass. And I know I'm smart.and able." Raine seemed to be staring out into space.

"So you're dropping this issue?" Gordon continued to prod for some sort of answer.

"And if its not for pity, or she's not his newest prot‚g‚, then what else could she be?" Raine chuckled, her eyes glittering insanely, "What? His lover?"

Gordon almost did a spit take. He tried to recover without being noticed.

"I mean, that's not possible." Raine muttered, "Because that would mean that she was more than just a fling. She's not some stripper or some flight attendant."

"She used to be a cocktail waitress."

Raine stared at him and began to laugh heartily, "No WAY! I mean then that seals it! I mean he wouldn't spend all this time and energy on a cocktail waitress! He wouldn't give her a Cinderella story would he? This has to be simple pity, and she just had the luck to turn it into something more. I mean, if she WERE his lover, then that would mean that he is not a coldhearted distant fuck. That would mean that I didn't know my husband at all. I mean, I know him Gordon," she said pointing to herself. Gordon had the distinct feeling that she had already made up her mind about who Mali was. She was unraveling before his eyes. It was sad. He had no idea that she cared so much for Marcus when they had both tried to make it clear to him that they could care less about each other romantically or emotionally. He let her continue, sensing that she needed to unload.

"I know him! I mean, he's incapable of love or emotion. He sees women as sexual objects. He doesn't even lust after them like other men. I mean I know he's not gay, but I never catch him looking at other women like other men do.he has more control.he sizes them up, and turns everything completely rational. They never work their charms on him, making him do what they want him to do. They can NEVER control him. And she, she's not so pretty. I'm prettier than her. It.it would mean that he doesn't, can't think of me as someone worthy of his affection.not even once."

"Raine," Gordon said totally abandoning decorum and calling her by her first name, "Maybe you should just try harder on your marriage. Maybe he doesn't think you care so much for him either."

Raine rolled her eyes, "Whatever Gordon," she stood.

Gordon shrugged as he settled the check. He was tired of being marriage counselor and conflict mediator. He was tired of the fresh mountain air. He wanted the claustrophobia of stinky old New York City.

As he followed Raine out of the restaurant, he noticed there was something different in her eyes. She was calm, controlled, quiet on the way back to the hotel. He could never tell what she was thinking anyway, but somehow he was worried. He sighed realizing what he had to do.

When he got a free moment away from Raine he pulled out his cell phone. "Austin? Yes, I know. I haven't been avoiding you it's just that." he sighed. "I'm in Colorado. Yes. You should be here. It's a real long story."



Raine listened to her voicemail before she got out of her car. It was Gordon.

"Raine-uh, Ms. Austin please. I don't know where you are, you're not in your room." There was a pause and then a sigh, "Please Raine. Don't do anything stupid. Call me immediately. Please."

Raine ended the call and took a deep breath before putting the phone away. If Gordon thought he was going to stop her from what she was about to do next she was crazy.

As soon as they got to the hotel and into their separate rooms, Raine already knew what she had to do and she had to do it without Gordon hovering over her, trying to manipulate her thoughts and feelings.

She got out of the car, tightening the belt of her trench coat around her waist. The ground was slick from the rain that smattered down only minutes before. She didn't think it would start up again but she carried a small umbrella just in case.

As she entered climbed the stairs of the apartment building she felt a tight knot in her stomach. She was nauseous and felt unsettled, yet she couldn't walk away.

"I have to do this.now."



"Yeah, maybe they'll give us an offer you know," I enthusiastically told Lola on the phone as I continued to fold towels. I had just gotten back from doing laundry which was just one of the many things I had to do today after that strange lunch meeting I had with Raine Farlowe and Gordon Black. They seemed.eccentric?

"They seemed legit but they also seemed strange. They were staring at me in a weird way. I tried not to let it get to me. The lady seemed really hoity toity you know.maybe she's all judgmental and stuff. They both seemed like they weren't really listening to what I was saying, but at the same time, they weren't brushing me off. They were.I don't know studying me like maybe to see if I was for real or something," I said as I fanned out a towel to shake out any wrinkles. "Sure, yeah I'm finished studying. You?" I laughed, Lola wanted to come over. She had a certain tone in her voice, as if she wanted to finish what we had started in the shower the other day. "When you're finished, just hop in a cab and come over. It might rain again. Shit, it might rain all week."

I heard the doorbell ring.

"Weird, who's that?" I thought out loud as I put down my laundry. When I pulled open the door, standing before me was no other than Raine Farlowe. I nearly gasped when I saw her. There was something about her striking good looks that had threw me off earlier, and unfortunately, it was throwing me off now. Hopefully I did a good job of concealing this. Her mind seemed occupied with other things during my sudo-presentation anyway.

"Ms. Farlowe!" I said using my best smile, "Please come in!"

She nodded politely and stepped inside, "Is this a bad time?"

"Um, no, can you just.sorry" I turned my back to her and said into the phone, "Can I call you back? Okay. Just call before you do. Bye." I hung up the phone and turned all of my attention to Ms. Farlowe. "I-uh had no idea you knew where I lived."

"I have away of figuring things out," Ms. Farlowe said, looking around my living room, sizing it up. I grew uncomfortable. "I'm sorry for the way I'm dressed Ms. Farlowe," I said, apologizing for the almost too tight cotton camisole that I wore around the house and my high school track shorts. It was hardly professional. I could sense what seemed to be distaste as she looked me up and down.

"No, I'm the one who has intruded upon you this evening Ms. Richards. And please, call me Raine," the woman said to me as she shrugged off her coat.

"Sure," I took her coat instinctively, hanging it by the door, "I'll make us some coffee.it'll be ready in a jiff." Raine still hadn't said why she was here, but though she put me as some degree of unease I remained excited. No one would come here in person at eight o' clock at night to completely reject someone, would they?

She seemed nervous and withdrawn. I took subtle glances at her as I made my way around the kitchen, so that's how I noticed this. She seemed like there was definitely something on her mind, but for some reason it didn't look like good news. Why was she here?

I came back into the living room with a tray with our coffee and some cream and sweetener, setting it on the coffee table.

"So, um, Raine?"

"Yes?" She answered, seeming to snap out of her own private thoughts as I sat down across from her.

"Are you here because you'd like to join the Red Mountain Range Team?" I cheerily asked. Sometimes I made myself sick.

"How'd you hook up with the RMR?" Raine asked sipping from her mug.

"Phillip Clarendon is my step father. He's finally been able to fulfill his dream of running a wilderness store. We've been doing so extremely well that we want to create a franchise.international even.well Canada," I said laughing as I poured cream into the steamy dark liquid in my cup.

"Does your stepfather usually employ nepotism, or is there a reason he thinks you're good enough to handle his affairs?"

I winced, having no idea what her tone or the question meant. Was she trying to be rude?

"I'm graduating with my Bachelors in Business Administration from Colorado State this spring. I've been working for and with him for four years. He understands that I'm more than qualified." I said with more of an edge in my voice than I would've liked. I couldn't help it. I felt a new tension in the air now. As if we were-well call me silly-but rivals.

"Impressive." She smiled, "How'd you afford your education?"

"Excuse me?" I said smirking slightly amused as much as I was offended by her line of questioning.

"Well someone as bright as you must have gotten a scholarship or something right?"

"As a matter of fact yes," I said, nodding. "In full granted by the business department."

"What did you do before that?"

"What?"

"School? I mean you're almost thirty right? Even though you don't look like it." she smiled, "I mean, a girl had to find a way to make money didn't she? Like did you work in retail or in an office or as a waitress?"

There was a sinking feeling deep in the pit of my stomach. Was Raine testing me or something? She knew where I lived, had her guy call me up out of the blue. How much else did she know? The smile on my face dissipated. Her expression changed too, probably because she could sense a change in me.

"Raine, I have a feeling you know the answers to every question you're asking."

"Oh you do? So you know why I'm here?"

"No." I said, my body stiffening. "But I have a feeling it has nothing to do with business."

She threw her head back and laughed, "You're a doll.a funny girl." she said, laughing for a minute while I just sat back watching her, mortified. What the fuck was going on?

"Did you make him laugh," I thought I heard her mumble.

"What?"

"Here's the thing." Raine said leaning forward, "Farlowe is my maiden name. Do you want to know what my married name is?"

I furrowed my brows and shook my head.

"Austin." She smiled. "I'm Raine Farlowe Austin. What does that mean to you?"

Oh shit. Oh shit!

"I'm sorry," I said trying not betray any emotion in my countenance. "I don't know what you mean."

It was too late though. She saw that brief millisecond's worth of shock on my face. She saw it even though she wasn't sure if that was what it was. Her face opened up, it was as if her whole attitude changed. She had an "A ha!" look on her face, like she just knew she was right about whatever question she had in her mind.

Was she?

"Mali, I don't want to play games with you. I came to talk to you woman to woman. My husband is Marcus David Austin Jr. do you know who he is?"

"Of course I know who he is," I said leaning back in my seat, "Every student in my graduating class knows who he is. Just like we know who Donald Trump is, and Bill Gates and Richard Branson."

She chuckled softly, crossing her legs. "You're good," she said, "but I asked you with respect, so that you could be real with me."

"You want me to be real with you?" I asked, "You've got a lot of nerve you know that? Before you get respect," I said standing, "You have to earn it. You haven't earned mine by stalking me and then backing me into a corner without telling me why. In fact, I smell the scent of desperation."

She looked up at me, seeming caught off guard.

I hovered over her, "What do you want Raine Farlowe Austin."

"Well," she said sighing and standing up herself, "You're stepfather has practically been handed RMR. You've been handed a full scholarship that didn't even exist until four years ago. You're home has had one of the most expensive television remodeling makeovers in history, and you used to work at The Clarendon as a cocktail waitress four years ago."

"And?"

"And you happened to be there at exactly the time when my husband did business there. So, I'm asking you to explain to me how all of these things fit together so coincidentally?"

"You tell me?" I said, still not giving up the bait. She already knew what was going on didn't she? Why was she trying to play me, condescend to me? "You obviously have all of the answers."

"Who are you to my husband Ms. Richards?"

"He had dealings with my uncle."

"No 'dealings' with you?"

"I had nothing to deal with Ms. Austin," I said coldly. "According to you I was nothing more than a cocktail waitress."

She laughed, "The title you held might be so ironic."

I shook my head. She was exactly how she described her. A coldhearted snobbish egotistical bitch. "Listen, I don't have time for this shit. Say whatever you need to say right now."

"Fine. I want to run one of my husband's companies. I think I'm capable but he doesn't take me seriously."

I rolled my eyes, "So what?"

"I didn't think he took anyone seriously except himself. I didn't think he took women seriously period. Then I hear about you. I know he basically built your life, and even if he didn't tell you he did-I mean that's not his style-I know, you must have some inkling of this."

I paced around the room, thinking about what she just said, "You think that what? He's prepping me to run one of his businesses? That he's my mentor?" A smile spread across my face as I thought about Marcus mentoring me, believing in me. Anything was possible. But he was through with me four years ago.

"And you have a problem with that because?"

"I just want to know why you and not me?"

I blinked, "Um, Raine, Ms. Austin.I don't think you have much to worry about. He's not grooming me for anything. He couldn't be. We have no contact at all."

"Did he tell you to keep it a secret from everyone? That's not his style but, well I guess I don't know him as well as I thought anyway."

"I'm sorry Raine." I said, feeling as if Marcus and I were both off the hook. She only thought I was being mentored by him. "Those things that have happened to me and my family. Coincidences. Maybe the reason he doesn't believe in you has nothing to do with me."

She seemed hurt by the last comment I made, but she still continued, "Maybe you're right," she said. I noticed she was beginning to tremble. There was a knock on the door. Our heads both jerked toward the noise.

"Shit," I said wiping my forehead and heading towards the door. Looking out of the peephole, I could see Gordon Black, covering his head with a wet newspaper. Since Raine had entered my apartment a downpour had unleashed itself on the neighborhood streets. Ironic. But why was he here? Damn, what was going on? Were they double teaming me? Was I in danger?

Against my better judgment I let him in. He charged in looking around at the both of us as he panted, "Ms. Austin, what are you doing here?"

"I don't know him," she said shaking her head as she addressed Gordon. "I don't know him at all. Apparently Gordon, he's nurturing, he's caring, he takes care of people who he loves, goes out of his way for them.why, he made her life a Cinderella story!"

"What the fuck are you talking about?" I said.

"Raine!" Gordon shouted, "This is crazy! I've had enough! I've went along with your shit for too long now, okay? You can't go to other people and blame them because your marriage isn't working."

She stared at him, seeming scolded. "But four years ago, he met her, and set her up for life!"

"Set me up for life?" I snickered, "Yeah, that's why I'm in this wonderful place, the 'Grandview Apartments' with the fantastic view of the recycling plant across the street. Can't you smell the luxury of the Ramen Noodles I've been eating for the last two weeks? Why I just get involved with crazy strangers, not because I want to help my stepfather follow his dream, not because I'm desperate to do something with my life, but because I'm just living the La Bella Vita! The Good Life! I have nothing else better to do! My life is PERFECT!"

They both seemed surprised and startled since I was yelling at this point, but as long as I was yelling I was in control. "I want you to listen Raine Austin," I pointed at her, "I work for everything I have and everything I am. And that's why you are here pointing your manicured little finger at me. Because you can't stand it, because you don't know how to do the same thing. You're begging your husband for permission to be someone who you think is better than yourself. And that's your problem, not mine."

There was a brief silence before Gordon spoke, wiping his mouth with his hand, "Raine, she's right. Four years ago The Clarendon deal happened before you even got married. If he were really in love with her, why would he have married you? He does what he wants Raine."

I saw her hazel golden eyes soften when Gordon said this. She said nothing, just cast her eyes down at her feet.

Gordon looked at me as he wiped off his glasses, "I'm so sorry for this intrusion, really I am. Is there anything I can do to make things up to you?"

"I just really want you guys to leave, that's all."

As I said this the phone rang. I went to the kitchen to pick it up. It was Lola, she was in a cab on her way over here. I wasn't in the mood for any playful showering, but I was shaken up by this whole situation and needed someone here tonight. I've never told her about Marcus but maybe I'd tell her tonight. Not telling my stepfather or my best friend about this larger than life affair I had proves just how loyal I am to this man who, through all of his magic and mystique has never sent a card or flowers. When we both agreed that we would go our own separate ways, he must've taken it extremely seriously. Well I guess I did too. I just always thought that if people knew about me and him that it would somehow ruin his life. I don't know, I just thought of myself as some sort of accident that happened to him. I mean, don't get me wrong, he played his part in this whole thing but I realize that he didn't mean to fall in love with me and I didn't mean to fall for him.

I walked back out to the living room. She was putting on her coat and gathering her things.

"Once again, we're sorry," Gordon said as he gently led Raine by crook of her elbow out of the door. She gave one last look at me. I didn't seem like one of malice, it seemed like one of sadness.